Medium of the Art / Technique of the Artist:
When seeing the Goddess of the Healing Waters statue, no photo could capture all of its shapes and shadows. As you walked around the beautiful statue, each angle, each distance and each position created a new single piece of art. No photography or website could capture this experience with the statue. As I circled around the art piece, I could see all the extreme detail and how real she looked to me. She radiated beauty and elegance in a holy way, I felt as in the presence of a goddess. Her beauty transcended her physical body as I could see grace and something above her appearance, a holy presence.
No matter the medium of the art, seeing it in person is what makes the experience.
Design of the Museum:
With the design of the museum it is essential the architecture matches the tone of the art and complements it. Within the first room we entered, ceilings were high and the wood flooring made constant echoes of footsteps. With the high ceilings and quiet nature of the room, it felt very reflective as we were able to gaze upon the art and have breathing room. The room felt open and very comfortable, as each art piece was spread out; making it take time to travel from each art piece to art piece. From this experience, each part of the exhibit felt special and more exclusive, being spaced out and in the middle of everything.
Art and Core Values:
Upon reading Siddhartha earlier this semester and reading upon Buddhism, it was great looking at some art pieces related to the religion and way of life. Without having read and learned about the practice and its values, I would not have reacted the way I did at the museum. Seeing the small Buddha statue, sparked my core value of respect towards others and being open minded. Now having a new appreciation towards the religion, I found myself enjoying the art too. Reflecting on my viewing of the statue, it reminds me how much culture I have yet to dive into and how I like to be open minded and slow to judge no matter the background or culture.
Art and the Good Life:
Art is meant to inspire and reinforce values of people who see it. From the Harn Museum, the exhibit that stuck out to me the most was the collective called The Guerrilla Girls. In it, it exposed how only 4% of artists in Modern art exhibits are women, yet 76% of the nudes are female. Being very memorable, the message stuck to be through the art pieces shown. Art is a catalyst for social justice and messages, it quickly instills an emotional reaction which in turn creates a stronger memory and attachment to the cause.